Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday to extend his condolences following the death of senior Shiite cleric Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah. An Nahar daily reported Wednesday that Nasrallah, in his turn, thanked the Turkish PM for his stances regarding the Palestinian cause.

Media reports said last month that Erdogan had sent an official invitation to Nasrallah to visit Turkey. However, the trip was cancelled over security fears. Erdogan is expected to visit in Lebanon later this month.